Pharmacy medicine how to identify tablet name short form
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Here is a complete guide to identifying tablet names and their short forms used in pharmacy:
Pharmacy Tablet & Medicine Short Forms / Abbreviations
1. Dosage Form Abbreviations (What the Medicine Is)
| Short Form | Full Meaning |
|---|---|
| tab. | Tablet |
| cap. / caps. | Capsule |
| syr. | Syrup |
| soln. / sol. | Solution |
| supp. | Suppository |
| ung. | Ointment |
| top. | Topical |
| SL | Sublingual (under tongue) |
| INJ | Injection |
| MDI | Metered-dose inhaler |
| SR / XR / ER / CR / LA | Slow Release / Extended Release / Controlled Release / Long Acting |
Tablet name suffixes you'll see on the tablet itself:
- SR - Sustained Release (e.g., Metformin SR)
- XR / ER - Extended Release (e.g., Glucophage XR)
- CR - Controlled Release (e.g., Paxil CR)
- LA - Long Acting (e.g., Nitrospan LA)
- DS - Double Strength (e.g., Bactrim DS)
- OD - Once Daily formulation (e.g., Telma OD)
- XL - Extra Long (e.g., Glucotrol XL)
- CD - Controlled Delivery
- EC - Enteric Coated (e.g., Aspirin EC)
- FC - Film Coated
- DT - Dispersible Tablet
- ODT - Orally Disintegrating Tablet
- MR - Modified Release
2. Frequency / Timing Abbreviations (How Often to Take)
| Short Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OD / q.d. | Once a day |
| BD / b.i.d. | Twice a day |
| TDS / t.i.d. | Three times a day |
| QDS / q.i.d. | Four times a day |
| PRN | As needed |
| q4h | Every 4 hours |
| q6h | Every 6 hours |
| q8h | Every 8 hours |
| q12h | Every 12 hours |
| HS / h.s. | At bedtime |
| a.c. | Before meals |
| p.c. | After meals |
| stat. | Immediately / at once |
| ATC | Around the clock |
3. Route of Administration Abbreviations
| Short Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
| PO | By mouth (per os) |
| SL | Sublingual (under tongue) |
| SC / SubQ | Subcutaneous (under skin) |
| IM | Intramuscular |
| IV | Intravenous |
| PR | Per rectum |
| PV | Per vagina |
| TOP | Topical |
| INH | Inhaled |
| OD | Right eye (oculus dexter) |
| OS | Left eye (oculus sinister) |
| OU | Both eyes |
| AD | Right ear |
| AS | Left ear |
| AU | Both ears |
4. Quantity Abbreviations
| Short Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
| i / ii / iii | 1 / 2 / 3 tablets (Roman numerals) |
| ss | Half (1/2) |
| g | Gram |
| mg | Milligram |
| mcg / µg | Microgram |
| mL | Millilitre |
| tsp | Teaspoon (5 mL) |
| tbsp | Tablespoon (15 mL) |
| gtt | Drop |
5. Common Drug Name Short Forms
| Abbreviation | Drug Name |
|---|---|
| APAP | Acetaminophen (Paracetamol / Tylenol) |
| ASA | Acetylsalicylic Acid (Aspirin) |
| PCM | Paracetamol |
| MTX | Methotrexate |
| INH | Isoniazid |
| SMX / TMP | Sulfamethoxazole / Trimethoprim |
| ACV | Acyclovir |
| OCP | Oral Contraceptive Pill |
| HCQ | Hydroxychloroquine |
| MgSO4 | Magnesium Sulfate |
| NTG | Nitroglycerin |
| KCl | Potassium Chloride |
| NaCl | Sodium Chloride (saline) |
6. How to Read a Full Prescription (Example)
Metformin 500 mg tabs - Sig: i tab PO BID c meals
Breaking it down:
- Metformin 500 mg - drug name + strength
- tab - tablet (dosage form)
- i - one (quantity)
- PO - by mouth (route)
- BID - twice daily (frequency)
- c meals - with meals (timing)
Translation: Take 1 Metformin 500 mg tablet by mouth twice daily with meals.
7. General Prescribing Abbreviations
| Short Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Rx | Prescription |
| sig. | Write on label / instructions |
| DAW | Dispense as written |
| disp. | Dispense |
| d.c. | Discontinue |
| NR | No refill |
| UD / u.d. | As directed |
| c | With |
| s | Without |
| aa | Of each |
Key Tips for Identifying Tablet Names
- Suffix on brand name tells you the release type (SR, XR, ER, CR, LA, DS, OD)
- Numbers after name = strength in mg (e.g., Metformin 500, Atenolol 25)
- Roman numerals on prescriptions = tablet count (i, ii, iii)
- Latin-based short forms (b.i.d., t.i.d., h.s.) are older style - modern scripts use BID, TID, HS
- Always check the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) error-prone abbreviations list to avoid dangerous misreads
These abbreviations follow international pharmacy standards and are used across hospital, retail, and clinical pharmacy settings.
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Pharmacy Tablet Abbreviations
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Here's what's packed into the single A4 page:
| Section | Contents |
|---|---|
| Dosage Form Abbreviations | tab, cap, syr, soln, supp, ung, SL, INJ, MDI, and more |
| Tablet Name Suffixes | SR, XR, ER, CR, LA, DS, OD, EC, DT, ODT, MR, IR |
| Frequency / Timing | OD, BD, TDS, QDS, PRN, q4h-q12h, HS, a.c., p.c., stat |
| Route of Administration | PO, SL, SC, IM, IV, PR, INH, eye/ear routes |
| Quantity & Units | Roman numerals, g, mg, mcg, mL, tsp, tbsp, gtt |
| General Prescription | Rx, sig, DAW, disp, d.c., c/s, UD, and more |
| Common Drug Abbreviations | APAP, ASA, MTX, INH, HCQ, NTG, NSAID, ACE-I, ARB, and more |
| Example Rx decoded | Full walkthrough of a sample prescription |
The layout uses color-coded sections so you can find what you need at a glance - great for printing and laminating as a desk or pocket reference.
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